Personal watercraft (PWCs) have become very popular in recent years for recreational use and for use as transportation in coastal communities. For example, water jet propelled watercraft offer high performance, good acceleration and handling, and shallow-water operation. Accordingly, personal watercraft, which typically employ water jet propulsion units, have become popular, especially in resort areas. As the use of PWCs has increased, a desire for improved comfort for operators and riders of these PWCs has also increased.
Chop is a term for small waves which, while not preventing operators and riders from using their watercraft, carry enough force to cause discomfort while riding due to increased vibration. This effect can be especially noticeable at the front (bow) of the watercraft as the vessel intercepts small waves and wakes and shocks from the chop is transferred to the operator and any passengers through the hull.
In view of the foregoing, a desire has developed for a watercraft with a hull body that provides a solution to the inconvenience described above. In order to address this desire, hull adaptations have been developed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,647,296 teaches the addition of a shock damper including an impact plate mounted to the bow of a boat for damping impacts generated by waves. The shock damper has a structure similar to an external ski that attaches to the hull, which flexes to absorb wave shocks and lifts the bow out of the water preventing wave energy from striking the bow directly. While providing a method for cushioning and avoiding the landing shocks from chop and small waves, the additional structure external to the hull changes some basic characteristics of the watercraft. The modification taught first changes the manner in which the watercraft must be handled for transport, as the external shock damper may be damaged if the watercraft is loaded onto a standard trailer. As the shock absorber works in part by lifting the bow up away from chop and small waves, this will also affect the manner in which the watercraft handles as it is piloted.
With the drawback as described above, the system taught does not satisfactorily address the problems of chop without materially affecting the original structural form and handling of the watercraft. Therefore, there is still a desire for a watercraft having a hull that provides improved rider comfort when presented with conditions of chop while not effectively diminishing the overall watercraft quality or handling.